Owned by the City of New York, the High Line is a public park maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

A Bittersweet Farewell and A New Chapter for High Line Art

By Kate LindquistJune 21, 2011

Lauren Ross.

Last week, we bid farewell to Lauren Ross, our Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Curator & Director of Arts Programs. When Lauren first came to us in 2009, we were in the final stages of construction on the first section of the High Line, and Creative Time was helping us install our first public art installation: A River That Flows Both Ways by Spencer Finch.

Since then, Lauren has created and expanded High Line Art, commissioning temporary public art that responds to the distinct character of the High Line. During her time with the High Line, Lauren commissioned ten site-specific installations, including a photography and performance piece by Demetrius Oliver, sound art by Julianne Swartz, and sculptures by Kim Beck, Richard Galpin, Valerie Hegarty, and Sarah Sze. She has also facilitated partnerships between Friends of the High Line and external organizations, like Creative Time, Performa [ link: http://www.performa-arts.org/ ], and the Trisha Brown Dance Company, to introduce sound art installations, dance performances, family arts workshops, more. Lauren's work was recently acknowledged by the International Association of Art Critics, which awarded High Line Art first place for Best Show in a Public Space.

Lauren leaves the High Line for Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she will serve the Philbrook Museum of Art as the Nancy E. Meinig Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. The search is underway for new curator to lead High Line Art and build on Lauren's success, and we aim to announce her replacement in the coming weeks. We will miss Lauren greatly at the High Line, and we wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

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Friends of the High Line raises 98% of the High Line’s annual budget.
Owned by the City of New York, the High Line is a public park maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.